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Greedy train firms raise off-peak fares by 10%

Rail firms are ripping off families by hiking off peak fares by as much as 10%, the TSSA rail union said today.

It also accused them of "trying to bury bad news" by delaying the news until after Ministers had published the West Coast line franchise fiasco report.

Manuel Cortes, union general secretary, said, "Not only do ATOC try to bury bad news by announcing fare increases on the same day as the West Coast franchise fiasco report, they then try to hide the massive hike in unregulated off peak fares, three times more than inflation.

"Once again, they are hitting those who can least afford it the hardest, the old, the young and families who travel off peak because cannot afford what Philip Hammond called "eye wateringly expensive" regulated fares.

"They make Del Boy Trotter look like an honest businessman. These increases are normally announced in November but have been deliberately held back to avoid another own goal for the private industry which relies on £4 billion of taxpayer subsidies every year."

Off peak fares between London and Birmigham are going up 10% and between London and Plymouth by 9%.

Unregulated fares like off peak are not controlled by the Government's 4.2% price cap in January.